Majician

New York rap lifer Kurious is somewhat of an unsung legend, well-regarded by dedicated hip-hop fans despite his relatively scanty discography. He came up in the early 90s as part of the Constipated Monkeys, a crew which included members of KMD, and briefly worked at Def Jam before his Columbia-distributed debut, similarly titled A Constipated Monkey, arrived in 1994. Not quite as sexual as the Beatnuts or as jokey as 3rd Bass, to name two longtime associates and collaborators, Kurious established his sharp-witted yet playful style, which has only tightened up with age and experience. Partially due to label woes, Kurious went 15 years before releasing a follow-up, but he remained on hip-hop fans collective radar through numerous appearances on MF Doom-related releases, and he became more prolific than ever during the 2020s, issuing three records during the first half of the decade. Majician (a longtime nickname for the rapper) was executive-produced by Doom before his untimely passing, and was co-released by his Metalface Records and underground hip-hop empire Rhymesayers Entertainment. Beats were supplied by Mono En Stereo, frequent collaborator of Homeboy Sandman, and they seem to draw from synth-funk, orchestral soul, fusion, and yacht rock, exhibiting the same sort of eclectic, whatever-sounds-good approach to sampling and beat chopping as Dooms productions without sounding like a carbon copy of his style. Kurious lyrical references to DJ Red Alert, the Rock Steady Crew, and Crazy Eddie make clear that he was a child of a certain era of New York City history, but the album doesnt feel like a mere throwback or nostalgia trip. He recognizes the contributions of hip-hops pioneers to the culture (not just from the Big Apple, but around the country), and looks out for aspiring rappers, making sure theyre aware of the dangers of the music industry. His lyrics manage to seamlessly mix heady introspection with cheeky humor, offering insight while keeping spirits high. Majician is a focused and fun effort from an underrated veteran. ~ Paul Simpson

90sヒップホップ好きにはお馴染みなヴェテランの新作は、旧知の仲だったMFドゥームが生前にエグゼクティヴ・プロデュースを担当する形で制作が進められていたもの。ソウルやジャズ、エレクトロ、レゲエ、オペラ、シティ・ポップ(!)など雑多なジャンルの要素が混在。随所でドゥームの存在を感じ取れるなか、主役のキュリアスも衰え知らずなラップを披露している。
bounce (C)Masso 187um